Hoteliers around NSW are celebrating a big win against peer-to-peer sharing platforms this week, after the state government introduced a 180-night cap on home owners ‘sharing’ their properties.
As part of the crackdown on short-term letting, property owners in Sydney will only be allowed to rent their properties through apps such as Airbnb and HomeAway for half the year. Councils outside of Sydney will be able to impose their own cap, however, it cannot be lower than 180 days.
Additionally, strata companies will be given the power to ban hosts from short-term leasing properties in their buildings. This rule is only applicable on vacant apartments, which means owner-occupied properties will be able to continue renting rooms within their units, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Image: Airbnb
Better Regulation Minister Matt Kean described the new regulations as the “toughest” in the world on the short-term letting industry but says they’re also fair.
“We’ve got the balance right between protecting people’s property rights, between recognising owner’s corporations have a role to play in the governance of strata schemes, and ensuring people who want to use these platforms like Airbnb are able to do so.”
Matt Kean, Better Regulation Minister
New reforms are accompanied by a two-strike policy, which will see hosts who commit serious breaches within two years banned from using home-sharing apps for five years and placed on an exclusion register.
Image: Airbnb
Airbnb’s Country Manager for Australia, Sam McDonagh, welcomed the “fair and innovative rules”, saying they’re the culmination of nearly three years of consultation with the home-sharing community, industry and local officials.
“The rules will be a boost for the NSW economy and a welcome relief for the countless small, local businesses who rely on the Airbnb guest dollar.”
Sam McDonagh, Airbnb Country Manager for Australia
“It will also provide a strong foundation for our community to continue to grow responsibly and sustainably,” McDonagh added.
“While there is still some detail to work through with the NSW Government, we are committed to working collaboratively to ensure these new regulations are a success.”
The policy will be reviewed in 12 months, in the meantime, home-sharing apps operating in NSW will be required to sign a code of conduct to share their data with the government and ensure users are following new laws.
READ: Home-sharing app takes on Expedia & Booking.com
READ: Is a home-sharing app seriously considering starting an airline?
READ: Home-sharing app to expand its list of hotels on offer